Martin CS-OM-13 Custom Shop Acoustic Guitar (with Case)

The Martin CS-OM-13 Custom Shop Acoustic Guitar with Case features a top of high-altitude spruce, harvested in winter months to produce a lighter-weight wood with better stiffness, and a tight and even grain. The back and sides are Madagascar rosewood, and the fingerboard is inlaid with pearl scalloped diamonds and red spiny reconstituted stone with a mother of pearl border. Constructed using hide glue, these guitars will only be constructed during the year 2013, and limited to 80 instruments.

Martin's annual Custom Shop editions have exhibited the very best of what a Martin guitar can be. This offering -- the Martin CS-OM-13 Custom Shop Acoustic Guitar with Case -- Martin has acquired some beautiful and rare high altitude Swiss spruce for the top material. This wood is cut in the traditional European violin makers' method of fallen trees in the winter months before a new moon. Swiss spruce is light in color and weight, but stiff and close grained lending itself to incredible responsiveness. Traditionally prized Adirondack spruce is used for the cross braces as a means of providing that 'vintage Martin complexity' to the instrument, while Sitka spruce is chosen as tone bar material to soften the aural edges. Tradition is further challenged with addition of a Madagascar rosewood bridge plate. The entire instrument is handcrafted in the C. F. Martin Custom Shop using hot hide glue. The back and sides are premium Madagascar rosewood bound with rose-colored African bubinga. The… read more solid 12/4 mahogany neck sports a two-way adjustable trussrod, a Bubinga bound ebony fingerboard, a special custom inlay pattern, premium Waverly tuning machines with snakewood knobs, and a Madagascar rosewood headplate (also bound in Bubinga) with a silver old-style logo. Martin believes they have created a truly inspiring and versatile instrument for the serious player.

Most instruments today generally stick with the standard format of single species top and bracing combinations. (Adirondack top, Adirondack braces, Sitka spruce top, Sitka braces, etc.) If a top species other than Adirondack or Sitka spruce is used, it is generally paired with Sitka braces. The thinking behind the CS-OM-13 started with the idea of blending various spruce materials in the bracing in top construction to create a new tonal palette. Much like how winemakers blend various grapes to create great wine, we believe various spruce-top and bracing materials can be used to blend the tonal characteristics of each species into an inspiring and exciting sound. read less